The Solano County Registrar of Voters released Unofficial Results as of 10:43 PM on election day. As of that time, estimated unprocessed ballots still to count: Est. 76,500. Note that the ROV can still receive valid ballots by mail until November 12th, if postmarked by Election Day. Following are Benicia results:
Roger Straw: The Morning After…
MAGA MORNING. Here are four poems, sharing my first thoughts and struggles with this morning’s news. How are you coping with the return to power of the Donald and his backers? See also “Looking Forward” below. – Roger Straw
MORNING AFTER (6:29 AM)
I don’t want to know.
Don’t tell me.
Dread in the morning.
I can’t sleep.
All indications we have arrived at a Fascist era,
The election all but called,
I turn off the tv.
I can’t bear to look.
Don’t tell me.
I don’t want to know.
MORE TRUMP (7:19 AM)
Sympathy doesn’t heal
Encouragement isn’t enough
How will we live in a Fascist state?
ON THE NEWS (7:32 AM)
On the news of Trump’s return
My sister in Canada sent a single word, Sad.
I replied,
Devastating.
Don’t know what to do.
Afraid.
I woke up uninformed but suspicious of the outcome
We couldn’t bear to stay awake for the tv analyses
The endless parsing of Lackawanna County
And comparisons of turnout and margins in years past
We shut off the tv and went to bed.
To bed not pretending, just not ready to deal
To bed
Maybe that’s the only place of security
In the face of impending doom.
On the news of Trump’s return
And even more so,
On the news of our nation’s willing descent into the pit of Fascism
Of my neighbor’s Take Us Back flag, victorious,
Of the loss of the all-important US Senate,
Of the marginal swing of the US House,
Of 4 more years of Presidential pouting
And posturing
And attack
And race baiting
And outright racism and misogyny and homophobia
Of losses to come, losses without number
Of dark days…
On such news, it’s hard to summon courage
To bed is not secure, to bed where dreams will tell the truth
Truth spoken, not to power, but to the darkness
Into the void we go.
The swirl, the black hole.
Tell me there’s more.
WAKE-UP CALL (8:08 AM)
Ok, so life goes on.
On the morning after we learned the truth,
The truth that we are still and again the United States of White Men,
The truth that even the threat of dictatorial power and criminality
Can’t override the fundamental fear of gender parity,
Can’t overcome the reality of racism,
On this morning after,
After our shock,
After our disbelief,
After all the twists and turns of the five stages of grief,
Life goes on.
So where does life go?
When life goes on in a turned-back America,
When life continues under fascist power,
When life plows ahead regardless…
Where is our Dr. King?
Where is our Susan B. Anthony?
Who will wake the nation?
Who will organize on campuses
And call the People to demonstrate
A vision of freedom and goodness and light?
A wake-up call
On the morning of our nation’s backslide
On the morning of the reaffirmation of sexism and white supremacy
On November 6, 2024
A wake-up call.
Who will wake us up, America?
Looking forward…
- There is hope — 10 ways to be prepared and grounded for another Trump presidency (Waging Non-Violence)
- What will you do if Trump wins? (Choose Democracy)
Your Vote: Fear Less, Regret Nothing
[The BenIndy received two submissions recently that warranted juxtaposition given the shared topic, timing, and connection between the authors. While independently crafted, these op-eds offer complementary perspectives.]
No Regrets
By Betty Lucas, November 3, 2024
When I turned 18, my father drove me to the polls and insisted I vote the way he wanted me to vote. I believed him when he said he could find out how I voted. I later learned that all votes are private. Today, I regret that I gave away my vote out ofunfounded fear.
Now, recently on Fox News, some pastors are telling women it’s their duty to vote as their husbands wish! In the US, we are fortunate to have the right to vote, unlike some countries where there is no choice.
America is and has always been a nation of immigrants. Our history is of people fleeing a dictatorship. Meanwhile, Trump admires the dictators Putin, Orban and – it was recently revealed – Hitler. When individuals or the press disagree with a dictator, they are threatened with retribution and violence. A dictator’s playbook is to keep people frightened and uninformed and to demonize innocent individuals.
Some brush Trump off with, “Oh that’s just Trump being Trump.” No, he is telling us what his is going to do. Project 2025 will gut funding for education, Social Security, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act and much more. High tariffs will hurt consumers, who will be forced to pay more.
Trump’s wife is an immigrant. Some hardliners would consider Elon Musk an illegal immigrant. Yet they both demonize even legal immigrants and those who look or live differently. Christian core values are to love thy neighbor and to forgive others who have wronged you.
The Republican party used to stand for small government; now it is co-opted to track women’s health decisions. I hope you will consider all that is at stake in this election, not just that food prices are too high, or because you are angry and want change.
Democrats are not perfect, there is much to improve. If your car breaks down, you fix it. Democracy needs fixing, but we don’t burn down the whole government.
Did you know that Elon Musk has warned citizens to expect “temporary hardships” as he plans to cut $2 trillion from the federal government? He can afford temporary hardships, can you?
I am not telling you how to vote. We are all in news silos, hearing only what we want to hear. Considering all the above, vote for the outcome you want for you, your family and the future of democracy. I am writing this to have no regrets before the most important election of my lifetime.
Don’t Freak Out! Five Reasons – Starting with Women – Why Harris Wins
By Stephen Golub, November 3, 2024, originally published on A Promised Land
Are you a Harris supporter stressed about the election? Me too.
Let’s not panic, though. Kamala’s (probably) got this. I’ve got five reasons why.
But first, you can start de-stressing by watching the Saturday Night Live clip above, especially commencing at the 5:45 mark.
Now, on to those reasons:
1. The Gender Gaps
American women (along with some men) will save the day in two ways: Far more women than men vote; far more women than men will vote for Harris. In fact, according to a Brookings Institution review, if those margins stay the same in 2024 as they were in 2020, “Harris could win Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada.”
In fact, the margins could prove even larger this year due to greater motivation and thus turnout by women: Many wise pro-Harris women are standing up for their rights; many macho pro-Trump men are simply standing up for supposedly standing tall. Pro-Harris fires could be fueled by the Supreme Court’s anti-abortion Dobbs decision, pro-abortion ballot measures (including in swing states Arizona and Nevada), Trump’s ever-more-misogynistic rhetoric and (though she’s downplayed this) Harris’s trailblazing status.
Even more to the point: Women far outnumber men in early voting, by a 10 percent margin, unnerving even leading Trump supporters. And one key group whose votes Trump seeks, young men, simply tend to not show up for elections.
2. The Passion Gap
A recent Gallup poll found that more Democrats (77 percent) are enthusiastic about voting than Republicans (67 percent) are. Another survey detected a similar 10 percent edge for Harris versus Trump supporters regarding feeling angry if their candidate loses. Enthusiasm and potential anger don’t necessarily turn into votes, but that underlying passion might still help.
3. The Puerto Rican Gap
Don’t underestimate the anti-Trump impact of the idiotic comedian who slammed Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” (while making a slew of other racist remarks) at Trump’s recent New York rally. This could well infuriate many Puerto Rican voters in Pennsylvania (which has almost 300,000) and other swing states. It certainly spurred superstar recording artist Bad Bunny to back Harris, making him part of the wave of Puerto Rican stars who reached out to over 340 million Instagram followers to show similar support after the rally.
4. The Momentum Gap
After a rough patch during which Trump seemed to be inching up, Kamala is regaining momentum in myriad ways. The final New York Times poll shows Harris up in four swing states, virtually tied in two and behind in one. A respected Iowa pollster’s survey showing Harris ahead there could combine with other recent poll results to be a harbinger for demographically similar swing states, even if Kamala (likely) loses Iowa itself. Survey results, including from Pennsylvania, indicate that she’s shrinking or even reversing Trump’s edge on the economy. And as I’ve already indicated, the fact that women are turning out much more than men in the early voting, with arguably much greater motivation to do so, could prove pivotal.
Now, what about all of those polls showing Trump tightening the race? For one thing, as I’ve noted, some recent surveys hold good news for Harris. But in addition, polling today involves so many subjective judgments by the even the best pollsters that the science is suspect. While this could work out to Trump’s benefit as much as Harris’s, it’s a reason to take surveys – and even averages across surveys – with a grain of salt.
In a development that’s gotten little press attention, Harris may benefit from an allied political action committee pouring up to $700 million into ads, social media posts and other messaging down the stretch, employing an unprecedented (though admittedly unproven), rigorous process for testing individual messages’ efficacy.
Finally, that SNL clip with which I opened this post shows it can’t hurt to close out the last Saturday of the campaign with a surprise star turn on the most popular entertainment show with folks aged 18-49.
5. The Get-Out-the-Vote Gap
Last but certainly not least, Harris has a more proven and organized get-out-the-vote (GOTV) operation than Trump does, a phenomenon I witnessed during my recent canvassing in Pennsylvania. While Elon Musk and others are mounting massive pro-Trump GOTV efforts using paid canvassers, they may well be fraud-plagued and less effective. This approach certainly failed when Ron DeSantis relied on it (and on the same strategist Musk is now using) in his ill-fated campaign. Harris volunteers are more likely to actually do their bit, in contrast with Trump contractors prone to scamming the compensation system.
Speaking of GOTV: I’m told that Kamala’s campaign knocked on 2.7 million doors last weekend alone. Even at this late date, you can go to the Harris campaign’s volunteer site, including to sign up to call voters in swing states. Having just done this, I’ll say that it’s far easier to do than it looks at first on the site. And bear in mind that even one persuaded or mobilized pro-Harris voter per two-hour shift can prove crucial when multiplied by volunteers’ millions of calls.
It’s not too late to act. As Coach Walz explains, “We’ll sleep when we’re dead.”
[Hat tips: BB, DW, AL.]Your Vote, Our Future: Benicia City Council, Community Groups Urge YES Votes on Measures F, G and H
November 3, 2024
Dear Benicia Voters,
As your City Council, we are unified in supporting Measures F, G, and H, which represent a lasting investment in Benicia’s future—strengthening our roads, enhancing infrastructure, and preserving essential services that safeguard our quality of life.
These measures weren’t proposed lightly. They reflect thoughtful planning and a vision to secure a stable, vibrant Benicia for generations to come.
While new taxes can be challenging, they’re a pathway to achieving a resilient city that thrives.
The strength of this vision is reflected in the broad support we’ve received from the Benicia Police Officers Association, Benicia Dispatchers Association, Benicia Fire Association, Solano County Association of Realtors, Napa-Solano Labor Council, California Democratic Party, and many other organizations. With these measures, we’re building a legacy of excellence and reliability that our city deserves.
Let’s come together and Believe in Benicia’s bright future.
Here’s what each measure will accomplish:
Measure F – Street Repair Sales Tax
- A citizen-initiative 0.5% (half-cent) sales tax
- Dedicated exclusively to street repair
- Includes oversight by an independent citizens committee
- Revenue cannot be used for any other purpose
Measure G – Limited Charter City Status
- Establishes Benicia as a Limited Charter City
- Limited and Sole purpose is to enable implementation of the Real Property Transfer Tax (Measure H).
Measure H – Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT)
- Applies to residential and commercial property sales
- Includes important exemptions:
- Family transfers (spouse, children, parents, grandparents)
- Property transfers into trusts
- Mortgage refinancing
- Creates a sustainable revenue source as Benicia grows with new housing development.
- RPTT is a one-time tax (closing cost) only affecting sale of residential and commercial property and can be paid by either party or negotiated.
We strongly believe these Measures will significantly improve Benicia’s future.
While we encourage your support, we most appreciate your thoughtful consideration of both supporting and opposing arguments. Your engagement in this process ensures that the outcome truly reflects our community’s will.
Thank you for your participation in this crucial decision-making process.
Sincerely,
The Benicia City Council
Mayor Steve Young
Vice Mayor Terry Scott
Council Member Trevor Macenski
Council Member Kari Birdseye
Council Member Tom Campbell
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